Couch surfing: new way to connect

Nonprofit network arranges a place to crash for travelers

Pastor Daniel Bodhi Chapin wants to take a deeper look at
America and get the country's pulse.

Brenda Goldsmith would like to connect her two sons with people
of different cultures and backgrounds while teaching them about
unity.

The two crossed paths this weekend after Chapin, a "couch
surfer," connected with Goldsmith, who is more than willing to let
people crash on her sofa.

Goldsmith and Chapin are part of CouchSurfing.org, an
international non-profit network that connects travelers with
people who are willing to share their homes, couches-and a piece of
their life.

Chapin, 38, is traveling across the country to promote unity in
Christianity and get to know the country on a deeper level.

Instead of driving a car or catching a bus, Chapin plans on
getting to know the country on a more intimate level.

He is walking.

Chapin started in Southern California last month and won't stop
until he reaches Nashville, Tenn, likely in April.

Chapin and Goldsmith talked Saturday about their passion for
people, faith and, of course, sleeping on peoples' couches.

Chapin's pedestrian journey

Chapin, a youth pastor and marriage counselor, was motivated by
his interactions with young people in his hometown, Garden Grove,
Calif.

"Young people are looking for a sense and longing and
community," he said. "They're not finding it, especially in
churches. They're finding division and doctrinal differences.

"I thought I would walk across the country. It's kind of a
dramatic way to get the point across," he said.

Chapin is not carrying a cell phone or laptop, rather relying on
the kindness of strangers and a group of supporters who are keeping
track of him and assisting with housing arrangements. He also has a
tent and a pack that holds 40 pounds of food, clothing, shoes and a
medical kit.

However, he is not embarking on a solitary journey.

"I will be interviewing everyone from shopkeepers and restaurant
owners to county supervisors to get an idea of what community means
to them," he said.

So far, he has encountered numerous people on the road,
including some University of Arizona students who gave him flowers,
a firefighter in Chandler who offered him some apples and someone
in a car who threw rocks at him.

One of his most memorable encounters so far came when he
befriended a 17-year-old homeless girl in Tucson Friday while
waiting for a ride.

"The girl was hungry. We were sitting on the floor eating bread
and fruit. I told her it did not have to be like this," he
said.